Egerton University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Kibwage, on Monday hosted Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe, high-level Principal Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers of leading government research agencies, fellow Vice Chancellors, county government leaders, and farmers as the Kenya National Research Festival 2025 opened at the University’s Njoro campus.
The festival, themed “Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security,” brings together policymakers, academics, farmers, and development partners for five days of exhibitions, discussions, and knowledge-sharing aimed at transforming Kenya’s food systems.
Research at the Core of Development
In remarks delivered on his behalf, CS Kagwe underscored that research is central—not peripheral—to Kenya’s development strategy. He urged scientists to focus on arid and semi-arid regions while calling for stronger agroecological centres, expanded research labs, and deeper collaboration between universities and research institutions.
Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, said over 80 percent of Kenya is arid or semi-arid, making innovation vital to food security. He challenged counties to invest in ecological research and pledged to strengthen university linkages with government in driving agricultural transformation.
PS Cabinet Affairs Idris Dokota echoed the call, urging counties to adopt youth-driven innovations and promote agricultural policies rooted in research.
NRF Showcases Impact
National Research Fund (NRF) CEO Prof. Dickson Andala highlighted that since inception, the Fund has channelled over Ksh 7 billion into 400 projects, 19 research infrastructures, and more than 700 postgraduate students. Egerton alone has benefited from Ksh 152.9 million, supporting projects such as food safety laboratories, gluten-free sorghum bread development, cowpea productivity, and aflatoxin reduction.
“These examples show how research can directly benefit farmers and communities,” Prof. Andala said, urging farmers to embrace innovations for food security.
County and University Leadership
Prof. Kibwage described hosting the festival as a monumental achievement, calling for the government to meet its pledge of allocating 2 percent of GDP to research.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, represented by Deputy Governor David Kones, commended the partnership with Egerton and NRF, citing ongoing county efforts in fertiliser subsidy, edible oil crop promotion, and livestock transformation.
“This festival is more than an event—it is a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to food security,” she said.
The festival, running until Friday, August 22, is expected to host over 1,000 farmers and provide field demonstrations, innovation pitches, training sessions, and policy dialogues to bridge the gap between research and grassroots adoption.